Traction-engine.



N., L. & H. NlLSON.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1999.

Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

3 SHBBTS-SHEET 1.

N., L. & H. NILSON.

TRAGTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14,1909.

1,051,624. Patented Jan.28,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MNT?

@iig

N., L. & H. NILSON.

TRAGTION ENGINE.

APPLwATIoN FILED MAY14. 1909,

1,051,624. Patented Jan.28,1913.

3 SHEETShSHEBT 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NILS NILSON, LEONARD NILSON, AND HAROLD NILSON, OF WAYZATA, MINNESOTA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28,1913.

Application led May 14, 1909. Serial No. 495,858.

-To aU 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, NILs NrLsoN, LEON- Aim NiLsoN, and HAROLD NILsoN,of Wayzata, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of our invent-ion is to provide a traction engine adapted foruse with a variety of agricultural implements and capable of use withmechanism attached in front as well as in the rear of the engine. v

A further object is to provide an engine of simple, durable constructionand one ^which will be comparatively light and inexpensive tomanufacture and hence within the reach of the owners of small farms, themachine being designed to take the place of animal power almost entirelyin the tilling of the soil.

Our invention consists generally in engines having means for drivingagricultural implements at a certainspeed and moving the engine acrossthe field at a varying speed, if desired.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan .view of a traction engine, 'illustrating the application ofthe machine to the operation 0f a gang plow, Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the same, Fig. 3 is a view of the engine, partially in section,illustrating the driving mechanism in detail, Fig. 4 is a side view ofthe engine, showing the arrangement of the friction drive mechanism,Fig. 5 is a plan view of the engine, illustrating the manner ofattaching a cultivator thereto, Fig. 6 is a detail, sectional view,showing the manner of mounting the cultivator teeth.

In the drawing, 2 represents the frame ,of the engine, composedpreferably of Lbeam construction on account of its strength andrigidity, and having a forward axle 3 and wheels 4 pivoted at 5 in theusual manner where oscillation of the wheels for guiding purposes isdesired, and connected by a l mechanism 6 with a steering post 7, suchas l is usually employed with automobiles.

8 is a rear traction wheel centrally supported between the side rails ofthe machine and 9 is a yoke secured at its lower ends to said frame andextending up over the traction wheel and supporting a guard 10. The yokeis braced by means of rods 11.

At. the forward end of the machine, we provide an engine 12 of the gastype having a shaft 13, to the forward end of which the pitman rod of amower may be attached, as shown and described in a pending applicationfor U. S. Letters Patent of even date herewith Serial No. 495,857. Inmaking the attachment for the mower, we prefer to provide a gear 14 onthe shaft 13, meshing with a gear 15, journaled on the frame of theengine and having a crank disk 16 connected therewith, on'which thepitman rod 17 is mounted. A clutch 18 is provided between the shaft 13and a shaft 19 that is arranged lengthwise in the machine near themiddle portion thereof, and one member of the clutch 18 is thrown to itsoperative position or inoperative position by means of a footoperatedmechanism 20, which is arranged, when actuated by the foot of thedriver, to throw the clutch to its operative position and transmit thepower of the engine to the shaft 19. Upon the release of the mechamsm, aspring 21 will separate the clutch members.

22 is a shaft arranged at right angles substantially to the shaft 19 andcarrying a friction disk 23 and a gear ring 24 inclosing said disk. Afriction drive wheel 25 is splined on the shaft 19, being movable backand forth thereon and on a guide rod 19 by means of a handle 26, andgears 27 and 28 are provided on opposite sides of the drive wheel 25 andadapted to move back and forth on the shaft 19 therewith. These gearwheels mesh with the gear ring 24 and form a positive drive between theshaft 19 and the said ring, the engagement of one gear with the ringcausing the ring t0 be driven in one direction andj the engagement ofthe other gear with the ring drivin it in the opposite direction, aswill be rea ily understood. The ear ring projects beyond the face of thedis 23, so that the gears 27 and 28 will not contact with the said disk,

and the gear ring is located a sufficient distance outside the peripheryof the disk, so that when either gear 1s in engagement with the ring,the friction drive w1ll be inoperative. "When however, the frictiondrive is moved toward the center of the disk and the gears are renderedinoperative, the surface of the drive wheel will contact with the diskand transmit the power from the shaft 19 to the disk. A mechanism 29,operated by aytreadle 30, and a connection 31 permits the disk 23 to bemoved out of engagement with the friction drive wheel against thetension of a spring 32, which normally holds the disk in engagement withthe drive wheel. A pulley 33 is provided on the outer end of the shaft22, from which through a suitable belt, (not shown) power may betransmitted for operating a threshing machine, cream separator or othermechanism. lhe movement of the friction drive wheel back and forth onthe shaft 19, will allow the speed of the friction disk to be varied,according to the location of the drive wheel, as usual in frictiondrives of this type.

A belt 34 connects the shaft 22 with a sprocket 35 on the traction wheel8 and by this means the engine is moved back and forth across the fieldand its movement may be made positive reither forward or backward bymeans of the gears 27 and 28 and the gear ring 24, or whenever desired,these gears may be thrown out of mesh and the friction drive employed tooperate the engineat any desired speed, according to the character ofthework to be performed.

'lhe shaft 19 has a pinion 36 secured thereon, meshing with a gear 37 ona shaft 38. A bevel gear 39 is secured on the.'shaft 38 between gears 40and 41, mounted on a shaft v,42 and arranged to be alternately lockedthereon by a clutch device 43. The shaft 42 projects beyond the frame ofthe machine on each side and may be utilized for driving an agriculturalimplement, or for other purposes. rThe shaft 42 has a belt 44 connectingit with the shaft 22, and a clutch is provided on the shaft 42, by meansof which the belt 44 is rendered operative.

' WV ith this mechanism, an agricultural implement attached to eitherend of the shaft 42 andthe traction wheel may be driven positively andsimultaneously from the driving shaft through the gears 36 and 37 and 40and 41 and the belts 44 and 34, or by means of the clutch mechanismeither the agricultural implement or the traction wheel may be operatedindependently of one an other. llt may be desirable at times to providea slower positive drive and this We accomplish through the gears 27 and28 and the ring 24, the power from the driving shaft being transmittedthrough the belts 44 and 34 to the shaft 42 and the traction wheel or toeither one of them to provide a slower positive drive. lf it isdesiredto operate both the traction wheel and the agricultural implementat a varying speed, we are able to accomplishthis through the drivewheel 25 and the friction disk 23, the ower therefrom being transmittedthrong the belts 44 and 34 to the shaft 42- and the ,trac-v tion wheel.We may also with this mechanism, by leaving the clutch 45 in its inoper-`71 therein and a pin 72 littin noeneae ative position, transmit ower tothe traction wheel through the be t 34 and move the machine forward at avarying speed and at the same time, drive the shaft 42 positively fromthe driving shaft through the gears 36 and 37. rlhis arrangement weregard as an important feature of our invention, as it allows us tooperate the agricultural implement at a posit-ive high speed while theengine is moved forward or backward at a variable speed.

ln Figs. 1 and 2 we have illustrated the application of the invention tothe oper: ation of a gang plow, in which case, a frame is providedconsisting of rails 47 and 48, mounted at their forward ends on theshaft 42 and projecting rearwardly therefrom, llhe rail 48, having alaterally-turned rear portion, is connected with the opposite rail by across bar 49. rlhis frame is capable of swinging vertically by means ofarocker bar 50 pivot-ed at 51 on theyoke 9 and havin a flexibleconnection 52 at its rear end witi the gang plow frame. The forward endof the rocker bar 50 has one end of a cable 53 attached thereto, theopposite end being wound on the shaft 42 and by this means the gang plowframe is lifted from its normal Working position and the plows raisedout of Contact with the soil. The plow frame may also be lifted by meansof bell cranks 54 pivoted on the machine frame and adapted to engagepins 55 and connected by rods 56 with a lever 57 and an arm 57 on a rockshaft 57". A shaft 58 is mounted in the bars 47 and 48 and carries aseries. of plows 59. A gear 60 is secured on one end of a shaft 58 andmeshes` with a similar gear 61 on a stud 62, which has a drivingconnection 63 with the shaft 42. IThe opposite end of the shaft 58 has adriving connection 64 with a stud 65, which has a gear 66, meshing witha gear 67 on a stud 68. A belt 69 connects the stud 68 with the shaft42. By means of these connections, the gang of ploWs can be revolved ineither direction, according to the nature of the work to be erformed.The rocker 50 is capable of' ad- ]ustment by means of a bar 70 havingholes said holes. 'ln F ig. 5, a frame 73 is mounte in a similar manneron the shaft 42, carrying a shaft 74 driven by a belt 75 from the shaft42 and having a series of sprin cultivator lingers 7 6 mounted on theshaftgi74 and arranged to di into the soil as said shaft is revolved.

e claim as our invention 1. ln a traction engine, the combination, witha frame having a traction wheel, of a source of power mounted on saidframe, a driving shaft-connected with said source of ower, a countershaft having a positive riving connection with said driving shaft, and aclutch for rendering said driving connection operative or inoperative,said counter lll@ shaft having means for connection with an agriculturalimplement,'a second shaft having a friction drive connection with saiddriving shaft, and arclutch device for rendering said friction driveconnection operative or inoperative, a driving connection between saidsecond shaft and said traction wheel, a driving connection between saidsecond shaft and said counter shaft, and a clutch device for renderingsaid last named driving connection operative or inoperative, wherebysaid counter shaft and implement can be olperated continuously at auniform speed t rough said positive driving connection or intermittentlyat a varying speed through said friction drive connect-lon.

2. In a traction engine, the combination, with a frame and carryingwheels therefor, and a source of motive power mounted on said frame, ofa driving shaft connected wit-h said source of power, a counter shaft, afriction disk, a shaft therefor, a friction wheel forming a drivingconnection between said friction disk and said driving shaft, a clutchdevice controlling the operation of said friction disk and positivedrivin connections between said disk shaft an said counter shaft and oneof said carrying wheels, whereby said counter shaft and said carryingWheelmay be positively operated and at a variable speed, said countershaft having a clutch device for renderin its driving connection withsaid disk sha t` inactive, substantially as described.

3. In a traction engine, the combination, with a frame having a reartraction wheel,

4of a source of power mounted on the fortive, and whereb said countershaft ma be driven at a uni oIm speed from said riving shaft, a secondtransverse shaft disosed at one side of said driving shaft and liaving afriction drive connection therewith and a clutch for rendering saidsecond shaft active or inactive, a drive belt connecting said secondshaft with said rear traction wheel, a second drive belt connecting saidsecond shaft with said counter shaft, and a clutch for rendering saidsecond'drive belt active or inactive, whereby said counter shaft andsaid traction wheel may be driven at a variable speed from said drivenlshaft.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 3rd da of Ma1909.

NI S NI SON. LEONARD NILSON. HAROLD NILSON. Witnesses:

J .-A. BYINGTON, Jnssm M. SULLIVAN.

